Ophthalmic mounting



E. J. R. BEATTEY OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING May 12, 1925. 1,537,733

Filed Nov. 22, I922 Fly ,6" 4

llllllllllllll fllllllllllllL mumunmummumn Patented May 12, 1925.

1,537,733 PATENT OFFICE.

EARLE J, R. BEA'I'TEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OPTICAL CORPORATION, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF- RHODE ISLAND.

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

Application filed November 22, 1922. Serial No. 602,621.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE J R. BEATTEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ophthalmic Mountings, of which the following is a specification. 1 The present invention relates to ophthalmic mountings, and has more particular reference to ophthalmic mountings of the type known as Oxfords.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ophthalmic mounting' of the above-described character that shall be more efficient in operation, and more easily and cheaply constructed.

With these ends in view, the invention consists of the improved ophthalmic mount-,

inghereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a rear elevation, illustrating a step in the manufacture of the illustrative mounting Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in nearly completed form; Fig. 4 is a. section, taken upon the line 4-4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a View of a preferred guard, prior to its assembly with the portion of the mounting shown 1n Flg. 1; and Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive are views of springs that may be employed to impart added resiliency to the bridge of the mounting of the present invention.

The Oxford type of mounting comprises, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, two

lens-receiving rims 2 that are connected together, above the wearers nose, at points- 4 and 6, by a resilient bridge or cross bar 8. The rims 2 are provided with guards 11 that are maintained in engagement with the sides of the nose by the bridge 8. The Oxford is integrally constituted of non-metallic material, like celluloid, zylonite and the like, and the bridge 8 is shown reinforced by a flat, metal. spring 10 that is seated in a flatsided groove 12, extending throughout the length of the bridge. The reinforcing sprlng adds not only to the strength of the mounting, but tothe-resiliency of the bridge,

.now be described.

and while the bridge or cross bar 8 is straight, itis grooved at 12. Th provided with lugs 16, each having a seat 18 to whichis later cemented or otherwise secured a guard 11. A preferred guard is shown in Fig. 5, before it is secured in place ,upon the seat 18, and it'is adapted-to be seecured in the; seat 18 along as to be flush with the front; face of the rim 2. An arc-shaped, leaf "spring 10, or a spring that is of oval, round orother shape, is inserted in the' groove 12,-which causes the bridge 8 to assume a perceptible arc-shaped form. "After the'sp'ring 10 has become seated in the groove 12, the openside of the groove is closed by astrip 20 of the zylonite or the like, and is cemented in place to the side walls of the groove in any well known manner, thereby effectually concealmg the spring. Some of the non-metallic stock is then cut away from the bridge, to permit the spring 10 to bring the guards 11 nearer together, until they occupy the desired relative positions shown in Fig. 3. Not only are the guards brought nearer together by thus removing some of the stock from the bridge, but the tension upon the guards is increased also.

To mount the Oxford upon, or to remove it from,.the nose, it is necessary temporarily to separate the guards, thus flexing the bridge 8. This repeated flexing of the bridge has a tendency to cause the spring 10 to work loose. A -very important feature of the present invention is the provision of pre ferred means for preventing the spring from working loose. This preferred means comprises one or more projections or indentations, teeth or the like extendingbeyond the sides of the-spring and that are adapted to become embedded in the non-metallic material to hold the spring in positionwithin shape shown in Fig. 1. In this condition,

e rims are at this time the edge 13,"so., I

' near the ends, as

the groove 12. The spring shown in Fig. 9 is provided with projections 22 extending throughout the length of the spring. It IS not really necessary, however, to have so many projections 22. It is sufiicient 1f the projectlons are provided near the ends of the spring. The preferred spring is therefore shown in Fig. 6, and also in Fig. 3, provided with projections 24 near the ends only of the spring. The projections or indentations may be provided at the very ends, 1f desired, as shown at 26, Fig. 7 and 28, Fig. 8; or they may be provided both at and at 30 and 32, Fig. 10, and 34 and 36, Fig. 11. The projections may be sharp-pointed, as at 22, 26, 30, 32 and 34:, or blunt, as at 24 and 28. Each of the types of springs shown in Figs. 6 to 11 has its advantages. It is by no means necessary,

however, that the projections or indentations be provided at or near\the ends of the springs. The projections 38, Fig. 12, and

, 40, Fig. 13, are shown centrally situated;

but these are therefore of correspondingly greater extent, to bite into a larger portion of the non-metallic material, because it is more difiicult to anchor the spring centrally than at or near its ends.

It is frequently desired to adjust the portions of the rims 2 relative to the bridge 8, and this may be done by heating the nonmetallic material at 4 and 6, where the bridge joints the rims, and bending while the non-metallic material is-in plastic condition. This bending is, of course, more diflicult when the bridge is reinforced by a spring. The ends of the spring are therefore softened, as indicated by the shading in Figs. 6 to 13, to render them bendable, so that the ends of the spring and the ends of the bridge may be bent together to adjust the rims towards and from each other. The body of the spring is thus hard-tempered to retain its resiliency, while the ends are soft-tempered to permit adjustment. As the spring extends throughout the length of the bridge, the soft-tempered ends are situated in the groove 12 near the portions 4 and 6, where the bridge joins the rims, and where the stock is therefore thickened and stronger, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Other modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, andare intended to be embraced within the appended claims.

Whatis claimed is:

1. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, two lens-receiving rims, a bridge connecting the rims constituted of non-metallic material, and a reinforcing spring embedded in the bridge having means projecting or indenting beyond a side of the spring into the non-metallic material for securing the splring within the bridge.

2. An opht almic mounting having, in combination, two lens-receiving rims and a bridge connecting the rims integrally constituted of non-metallic material, the bridge having a flat-sided groove, and a metal reinforcing spring in the groove of the bridge, having means projecting beyond the sides of the spring into the non-metallic material for securing the spring within the groove of the bridge.

3. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, two lens-receivlng rims, a bridge connecting the rims constituted of non-metallic material, and a reinforcing spring for the bridge, the ends of the spring being. bendable, whereby the ends of the bridge and the ends of the spring may be bent together to adjust the rims towards and from each other.

4. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, two lens-receiving rims and a bridge connecting the rims integrally constituted of non-metallic material, and a metal reinforcin spring embedded in the bridge and exten ing throughout the length of the bridge, the portions of the metal spring near the rims being tempered to permit bending, whereby the non-metallic material near the ends of the bridge and the ends of the spring may be bent together to adjust the rims towards and from each other.

5. An ophthalmic mounting having, in combination, two lens-receiving rims and a bridge connectingthe rims integrally constituted of non-metallic material, the bridge having a fiat-sided groove extending throughout the length of the bridge, and a metal reinforcing spring in the groove of the bridge lying throughout the length of the groove and having means near the ends of the spring projecting beyond the sides of the spring into the non-metallic material for securing the spring within the groove of the. bridge, the ends of the metal spring being tempered to permit bending, whereby the non-metallic material near the ends of the bridge and the ends of the. spring may be bent together to adjust the rims towards and from each other.

In testimony thereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of N ovcinber, 1922.

EARLE J. R. BEATTEY. 

